Girls, Season 2, Episode 8, “It’s Back”

Your parents visiting you in New York City is suppose to be fun, not an adventure of medical specialists to help you with your obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). I have to say that I was impressed in Lena Dunham’s sensitivity toward the exploration of her character’s mental health issues that escalated in a short period of time due to her e-book deal. With her parents in town it only seems to stress her out even more.

We open to Hannah’s OCD affecting her life with her counting to the number eight for everything from counting out potato chips (which she than eats all together), opening the door, the number of times she looks before crossing the street. She seems to be in a dark place since Jessa took off from her father’s house.

Photo: Jessica Miglio/HBO found on The Huffington Post

We jump to a beautiful sunny day in the park where Shoshanna, Marnie, and Ray are discussing Jessa’s departure. Shoshanna is worried about where her cousin is but more important what she’s wearing. She hoping she’s where linen if she’s in a tropical climate (because linen is the best of course!) Shoshanna’s concern is much different than Marnie’s she saw this as another one of Jessa’s dramatic exits because she can’t handle her shit! Marnie’s been witness to more than one of Jessa’s escapes. She doesn’t buy any of Jessa’s crap and feels like her friend needs to figure out her life and be an adult. There almost isn’t any sensitivity from her. Ray said that Jessa’s going to be fine because she’s a hustler. Shoshanna always your gossiping girl also informs Marnie that Charlie’s rich because an investor bought his computer app called Forbit, and now he’s got a corner office with 11 employees in Chelsea. (You had to love Marnie’s expression!) She leaves immediately because I am sure she’s just so shocked.

Shoshanna bumps into her vintage roller blading friend, Radhika in the park with Ray. According to Shosh, Radhika is the “richest Hindi she knows” and I think could be in the cast of a future Bravo TV reality series in five years. She also seems to the gossip of New York who questioned Shoshanna and where she’s been all summer. Shoshanna looked shocked like she was a recently voted out of her Manhattan Princesses club, led by Radhika. Ray is introduced as her boyfriend and Radhika looked jealous for half a minute. They invited Radhika’s very expensive apartment for an “improptu” party.

Ray doesn’t want to go to college party because 33 and hate them. He thinks that college seniors should not be going to college parties. Shoshanna ever the social butterfly wants to go and doesn’t care if he goes or not. Again she’s gotta show off to richest Hindi she knows.

Photo: Jessica Miglio/HBO found on The Huffington Post

Adam’s at his AA meeting and while their meeting’s leader is complaining about who’s going to contribute the cookies and he decided to open up to the group about his story. Adam explained that he started going back to AA meetings because his relationship with Hannah and he questioned his sobiety. Along with agreeing to bring the cookies to the next week’s meeting, he also meets Cloris (played by Carol Kane) who taking him aside and said that he could go out with her amazing and talented daughter, Natalia (played by Shiri Appleby).

Marnie goes to Charlie’s Chelsea office to see for herself what was going on with him. She looked like a bump with her unwashed hair in low pigtails and in sweats and Charlie’s overall look is a relaxed casual (but totally in the same fashion of Zuckerberg). Charlie is flirting with the different ladies in the office until Marnie speaks up and calls for his attention. Who knew his app, Forbid, was inspired after Marnie dumped him, so he would not call her so she could get over her. (Marnie’s thought the damage she did to him would have taken him six years to heal from but I guess all it took was a computer app and ton of money for him to find some happiness). But is Charlie still in love with Marnie or is Marnie still in love with Charlie? I personally loved when Charlie thought Marnie came to him because she wanted money, yeah like she would take money from him.

According to Hannah’s parents, she is always 15-45 minutes late. Her father Tad calls it the “Hannah Cushion”. While at out to dinner with them they see that she’s is experiencing some of past OCD behaviors. They get concerned. Hannah tells her parents she doesn’t have OCD and that she’s just stressed about her book deal.

Loreen and Tad Horvath at dinner with Hannah

Photo: Jessica Miglio/HBO found on The Huffington Post

Her parents while at dinner suggest that they handle her disorder the same way they did when she was in high school, that she go home to Michigan and meet with her pediatrician. Her parents at the dinner debate that Hannah’s OCD is not their fault. Her mother Loreen said that call she ever wanted for Hannah was to have a normal life and that her OCD would not allow her for those opportunities.

Hannah steps into the bathroom, looks in the mirror and keeps repeating to out loud, “You Are Fine and Good! You Are Fine and Good! You Are Fine and Good!”

Natalia (Shiri Appleby) at dinner with Adam.

Photo: Jessica Miglio/HBO found on The Huffington Post

Adam’s date with Natalia goes well. They are both surprised by Cloris’ matchmaking skills. They are able to enjoy each other’s company and laugh about their life experiences. It’s very interesting about how well they mesh well together and how relaxed Adam is around Natalia. With Hannah there was always a tense back and forth between these characters.

Shoshanna bores Radhika, who looks like Snooki at her party in a low cut black tank top. Shosh goes on about her relationship and Shosh leaves the party early where the doorman and her exchange that they both thing they are good looking. She finds her in a closet making out with him and taking him off duty. Shosh honestly is more concerned about who’s going to the watch the door?

Hannah’s parents take her to a psychologist (played by Bob Balaban) who is highly recommended. He’s also an accomplished author selling 2.5 million copies of about a robot. She reveals to her doctor that her OCD started in high school and she took medication but it made her tired. She was ashamed of her disorder because she would masturbate 8-16 times a night until her legs shook and had to make sure that she would not wake her parents, so she would check their doorknob 8 times. That would move into going into the bathroom and moving her and her father’s toothbrush 64 times. She would pass out at 3:00am each night and feel like a zombie for school later in the morning. It was so sad to learn of Hannah’s true reality. This is not just about a young woman living in New York but really about how she’s dealing with her mental health issues. I think she wants to get better but doesn’t want her parents to be so worried about her (but in my view a parent never stops worrying about their child whether they are a toddler or adult).

Marnie and Ray have a deep conversation after she returns from work because in her own world, she thought her relationship with Charlie would emotionally ruin him. She is jealous of the fact that he didn’t have his shit together and all of sudden gets really rich from an computer application that was inspired by her so he wouldn’t be able to contact her and feel like he less of person because he couldn’t deal with a life with her. Marnie’s at a crossroads and Ray bluntly asks her, “What do you want do with your life?” She reveals that she wants to sing and she belted out Norah Jones’ “Don’t Know Why” and by the way Allison Williams and an amazing singer! Perhaps this might help her branch off into a new life and career for her.

Ray Photo: Jessica Miglio/HBO found on The Huffington Post

Ray’s pep talks are epic! I loved when he told Marnie, “You wanna be a curator, open a small gallery; you wanna be a mother, get pregnant!” Stop being a cartographer and be an explorer!” I feel that Ray at 33 could be a self-employed motivational speaker!

In the final scene, Tad and Loreen are traveling on the subway with Hannah with a prescription drug bag in her hands. She told the psychologist to just tell her parents that she was okay. Her father’s look of concern was so sweet. Hannah looks with such same like she’s a ten years old.